Electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) management platform

ABSTRACT

A method of provisioning an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device. The method comprises provisioning an eSIM profile into an eSIM of a virtual eSIM provisioning platform provided by a computer system and where the eSIM profile comprises wireless communication service provider data and wireless communication service subscriber data, partitioning by an eSIM provisioning application a process of writing the eSIM profile to an eSIM of a wireless communication device into a plurality of messages, whereby the complexity of provisioning the eSIM profile to the eSIM of the wireless communication device is handled by the intelligence of the eSIM provisioning application, establishing wireless communication by the eSIM provisioning application with a wireless communication device having an eSIM, and sending the messages by the eSIM provisioning application to the eSIM of the wireless communication device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

Some wireless communication devices are provided with a removablesubscriber identity module (SIM) that defines wireless communicationservice provider data and wireless communication service subscriberdata. Some of this data may be presented by the wireless communicationdevice, for example, when authenticating into the radio access network(RAN) to obtain a wireless communication link. When a subscriber desiredto change wireless service from a first wireless communication serviceprovider to a second wireless communication service provider, he or shecould buy a SIM provided by the second wireless communication serviceprovider, remove the SIM associated with the first wirelesscommunication service provider from the wireless communication device,and install the SIM associated with the second wireless communicationservice provider into the wireless communication device. In some cases,new technology is replacing removable SIMs with eSIMs that comprise aSIM that is embedded in the wireless communication device and is notremovable (e.g., is not removable by a lay person without a high risk ofdamaging the device). In the eSIM paradigm, a wireless communicationdevice may be provisioned for wireless communication service on a RAN byloading appropriate data into the embedded eSIM in the wirelesscommunication device.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method of provisioning an electronic subscriberidentity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device is disclosed.The method comprises provisioning an electronic subscriber identitymodule (eSIM) profile into an eSIM of a virtual eSIM provisioningplatform, where the virtual eSIM provisioning platform is provided by acomputer system and where the eSIM profile comprises wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data and partitioning, by an eSIM provisioning applicationexecuting on the virtual eSIM provisioning platform, a process ofwriting the eSIM profile to an eSIM of a wireless communication deviceinto a plurality of messages, whereby the complexity of provisioning theeSIM profile to the eSIM of the wireless communication device is handledby the intelligence of the eSIM provisioning application. The methodfurther comprises establishing wireless communication by the eSIMprovisioning application with a wireless communication device having aneSIM and sending the messages by the eSIM provisioning application tothe eSIM of the wireless communication device, whereby the eSIMprovisioning application provisions the eSIM of the wirelesscommunication device.

In another embodiment, a method of provisioning an electronic subscriberidentity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device. The methodcomprises receiving input defining an electronic subscriber identitymodule (eSIM) profile by a user console application executing on avirtual eSIM provisioning platform, where the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform is provided by a computer and where the eSIM profile compriseswireless communication service provider data and wireless communicationservice subscriber data and provisioning the eSIM profile into an eSIMof the virtual eSIM provisioning platform by the user consoleapplication. The method further comprises reading the eSIM profile fromthe eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform by an eSIMprovisioning application executing on the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform and partitioning the eSIM profile into a plurality of segmentsby the eSIM provisioning application. The method further comprisesestablishing a plurality of wireless communication links, by the eSIMprovisioning application, with a wireless communication device having aneSIM, each wireless communication link established at a different timeand sending each of the segments of the eSIM profile at a different timeby the eSIM provisioning application to the wireless communicationdevice via one of the wireless communication links, whereby the eSIMprofile is incrementally transmitted to the wireless communicationdevice, and whereby the wireless communication device configures theeSIM in the wireless communication device based on the eSIM profile.

In yet another embodiment, a method of provisioning an electronicsubscriber identity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device isdisclosed. The method comprises receiving input defining a plurality ofelectronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) profiles by a user consoleapplication executing on a computer, where the eSIM profiles comprisewireless communication service provider data and wireless communicationservice subscriber data, sending the eSIM profiles by the user consoleapplication to a staging eSIM that is provided by the computer, andstoring the eSIM profiles by the staging eSIM. The method furthercomprises sending a first eSIM profile by the staging eSIM to a wirelesscommunication device having an eSIM, selecting a second eSIM profilefrom the plurality of stored eSIM profiles by the staging eSIM, andsending the second eSIM profile by the staging eSIM to the wirelesscommunication device, whereby an eSIM in the wireless communicationdevice is adapted to communicate in a different wireless communicationenvironment.

In yet another embodiment, a method of provisioning an electronicsubscriber identity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device isdisclosed. The method comprises receiving an electronic subscriberidentity module (eSIM) profile by a staging eSIM, where the staging eSIMis provided by a computer and the eSIM profile comprises wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data and partitioning a process of writing the eSIM profileto the eSIM of the wireless communication device into a plurality ofmessages by the staging eSIM, whereby the complexity of provisioning theeSIM profile to the eSIM of the wireless communication device is handledby the intelligence of the staging eSIM. The method further comprisesestablishing wireless communication by the staging eSIM with a wirelesscommunication device having an eSIM and sending the messages by thestaging eSIM to the eSIM of the wireless communication device.

In yet another embodiment, a method of provisioning an electronicsubscriber identity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device isdisclosed. The method comprises receiving input defining an electronicsubscriber identity module (eSIM) profile by a user console applicationexecuting on a computer, where the eSIM profile comprises wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data, sending the eSIM profile by the user consoleapplication to a staging eSIM that is provided by the computer, andstoring the eSIM profile by the staging eSIM. The method furthercomprises partitioning the eSIM profile into a plurality of segments bythe staging eSIM, establishing a plurality of wireless communicationlinks by the staging eSIM with a wireless communication device having aneSIM, each wireless communication link established at a different time,and sending each of the segments of the eSIM profile at a different timeby the staging eSIM to the wireless communication device via one of thewireless communication links, whereby the eSIM profile is incrementallytransmitted to the wireless communication device, and whereby thewireless communication device configures the eSIM in the wirelesscommunication device based on the eSIM profile.

These and other features will be more clearly understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, referenceis now made to the following brief description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein likereference numerals represent like parts.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a staging electronic subscriber identitymodule (eSIM) according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of another staging eSIM according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another method according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of yet another method according to an embodimentof the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a wireless communication device accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a hardware architecture of a wirelesscommunication device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8A is a software architecture of a wireless communication deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8B is another software architecture of a wireless communicationdevice according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a computer system according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood at the outset that although illustrativeimplementations of one or more embodiments are illustrated below, thedisclosed systems and methods may be implemented using any number oftechniques, whether currently known or not yet in existence. Thedisclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrativeimplementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, but may bemodified within the scope of the appended claims along with their fullscope of equivalents.

The disclosure teaches a system for provisioning eSIMs on wirelesscommunication devices. Some wireless communication devices may not haveconventional user interfaces which may make selecting and installingeSIM profiles into the eSIMs difficult. These eSIM profiles definewireless communication service provider data and wireless communicationservice subscriber data. It is projected that a great number of Internetof things (IoT) devices having eSIMs may be provisioned to receivewireless communication service in the near future, and yet many of theseIoT devices may not have conventional user interfaces. The system forprovisioning eSIMs described herein provides a solution to this problem.

In an embodiment, a virtual eSIM provisioning platform is provided thathas a front end for working with users and a back end for communicatingwith wireless communication devices having eSIMs. In an embodiment, auser may access a web interface extended by a user console applicationof the virtual eSIM provisioning platform to define and configure one ormore eSIM profiles. The user console application provisions the eSIMprofile into an eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform. Said inother words, the user console application writes the eSIM profiles tothe eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform.

The eSIMs may be part of a staging eSIM component of the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform in what may be referred to as virtual eSIMs.Virtual eSIMs are portions of memory in the staging eSIM component (orin the computer system on which the virtual eSIM provisioning platformexecutes). A virtual eSIM may be considered to mirror an acutal eSIM onthe target wireless communication device. Alternatively, the eSIMprofiles may be stored by the staging eSIM component in what may bereferred to as physical eSIMs. The physical eSIMs of a staging eSIMcomponent may be physical chips or blocks on chips, (for example chipson a circuit board in a computer system on which the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform executes). The physical eSIMs of a staging eSIMcomponent may be embedded universal integrated circuit cards (eUICCs). Aphysical eSIM also may be considered to mirror an actual eSIM on thetarget wireless communication device. In an embodiment, a single virtualeSIM may store a plurality of different eSIM profiles, and a singlephysical eSIM may store a plurality of different eSIM profiles.

An eSIM provisioning application of the staging eSIM component mayestablish a communication link with the target wireless communicationdevice and manages transfer and installation of the eSIM profile fromthe staging eSIM component (e.g., from the virtual eSIM in the stagingeSIM component or from the physical eSIM in the staging eSIM component)to the eSIM of the target wireless communication device. This processmay be referred to as mirroring the eSIM of the staging eSIM component(the virtual eSIM or the physical eSIM) to the actual eSIM of the targetwireless communication device or synchronizing the actual eSIM of thetarget wireless communication device with the eSIM in the staging eSIMcomponent. The virtual eSIM provisioning platform described hereindecouples the process of defining and inputting the eSIM profile or eSIMprofiles from the process of provisioning the eSIM on the mobilecommunication devices. The mirroring and/or synchronizing of the eSIM inthe staging eSIM component to the eSIM on the mobile communicationdevice (e.g., transferring eSIM profile data) need not take place inreal-time (e.g., need not take place while a user is actively engagedwith a user interface extended by the user console application).

The transfer and installation of the eSIM profile to the eSIM of thetarget wireless communication device may employ standard or modifiedstandard eSIM provisioning processes. For example, in an embodiment, theeSIM provisioning application may emulate the protocols used by anSM-DP+ provisioning server when communicating with the actual eSIM inthe wireless communication device. The eSIM provisioning application,however, may adapt these otherwise standard protocols to accommodatelimitations of bandwidth, limitations of communication channel latency,and limitations of up-time of the wireless communication devicesthemselves. In an embodiment, because the communications between thestaging eSIM component and the actual eSIM are secure and private, theeSIM in the staging eSIM (e.g., virtual eSIM or physical eSIM) and theactual eSIM in the wireless communication device may be identified usingthe same electronic identification (EID). The user may input the EID ofthe actual eSIM via the user interface. The EID of the actual eSIM maybe read by the user from device packaging or labelling.

Different wireless communication devices, especially in the context ofIoT devices, are expected to be manufactured with different levels ofprocessing and memory resources. In devices having ample processing andmemory resources, the eSIM provisioning application can focus ontransferring the content of the eSIM profile (stored in the virtual eSIMor in the physical eSIM of the staging eSIM component) to the targetdevice, delegating to the target device the activity of configuring theactual eSIM based on the eSIM profile. For example, the eSIMprovisioning application may write the eSIM profile into a memory cachelocation of the target device, and a local profile assistant (LPA)executing on the target device may configure the actual eSIM based onthe eSIM profile stored in memory cache.

Even in the case of such a high capability wireless communicationdevice, however, there may be complications involved in the eSIMprovisioning application transferring the eSIM profile to the targetdevice. For example, even high capability wireless communication devicesin the IoT environment may turn themselves off frequently as a batterypower conservation strategy. Hence, the eSIM provisioning applicationmay desirably manage transfer of the eSIM profile to the target wirelesscommunication device over a sequence of several different wirelesscommunication links and/or communication sessions. The eSIM provisioningapplication may also manage transfer of the eSIM profile to the targetdevice when the wireless communication link to the device is a lowbandwidth link and/or a high latency channel. The eSIM provisioningapplication can manage the flow of messages and eSIM profile informationaccordingly. As the actual eSIM of the wireless communication device isprogressively provisioned, the wireless communication device may sendstate equivalency messages or state status messages to the eSIMprovisioning application, whereby the eSIM provisioning application canverify the current state of the mirroring and/or synchronizingoperation.

In wireless communication devices having insufficient processing and/orinsufficient memory resources, the eSIM provisioning application mayexecute low level commands to write data into the actual eSIM on thetarget device without either caching the eSIM profile on the targetdevice or executing an LPA on the target device to map high level eSIMprofile data into specific memory locations in the actual eSIM. Forexample, the eSIM provisioning application may embody the functionalityof an LPA and interact with the actual eSIM in accordance with thefunctionality of this LPA module. The eSIM provisioning application mayalso manage transfer of eSIM profiles from the staging eSIM component(e.g., virtual eSIMs or physical eSIMS in the staging eSIM component) tothe actual eSIM on target devices that have capabilities intermediatebetween these two extreme examples. When mirroring the virtual eSIM orthe physical eSIM in the staging eSIM component to the actual eSIM onthe target wireless communication device has been completed, the targetdevice may send an acknowledgement back to the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform, and the virtual eSIM provisioning platform may send anacknowledgement message to the user.

In an embodiment, the staging eSIM component may store a plurality ofeSIM profiles for the same target wireless communication device. Theplurality of eSIM profiles may be stored in a single virtual eSIM or ina single physical eSIM on the staging eSIM component. In response to atriggering event, the eSIM provisioning application may transfer aselected one of the eSIM profiles to the target device as describedabove. This may relieve the target wireless communication device of theburden of storing multiple eSIM profiles in the eSIM of the targetdevice. The trigger may be issued by the target wireless communicationdevice itself, for example when it detects that it has moved from afirst wireless communication service region into a second wirelesscommunication service region. The target wireless communication devicemay select the desired replacement eSIM profile. Alternatively, the eSIMprovisioning application may select the desired replacement eSIM profileto transfer to the actual eSIM of the target device based on selectionrules configured into the eSIM provisioning application by the user viathe user console of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform at the sametime the eSIM profiles are configured by the user.

The deployment of eSIM profiles to IoT devices presents a technicalproblem for conventional eSIM provisioning systems that may rely upon asingle continuous communication link to the wireless communicationdevice having the eSIM and also rely upon a high-bandwidth communicationlink. By decoupling the front-end of the eSIM provisioning system thatprovides eSIM profile information from the back-end process of writingdata into the eSIM on the wireless communication device, this technicalproblem can be overcome. In an embodiment, the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform conducts the front-end operation as a provisioning operation—aninstance of virtually provisioning. By virtually provisioning the eSIMprofile to an eSIM in the virtual eSIM provisioning platform (either avirtual eSIM or a physical eSIM), the back-end can cope withlow-bandwidth communication links to IoT devices as well ascommunication sessions that extend over a series of off-line episodes ofthe target wireless communication devices.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a system 100 is described. In an embodiment, thesystem 100 comprises a first plurality of wireless communication devices102 each having an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) 104. AneSIM may be referred to as an embedded SIM card in some contexts. AneSIM is an electronic component that is typically non-removable (e.g.,is not removable by a lay person without significant risk of damage). Aremovable eSIM (embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) wouldnot typically be found in a low-cost and/or low power wirelesscommunication device. An eSIM may be soldered or otherwise electricallyconnected to a motherboard of a wireless communication device. An eSIMmay be a portion of a system on a chip (SoC). The eSIM 104 may storewireless communication service provider data and wireless communicationservice subscriber data, for example in the form of an eSIM profile 130.The wireless communication device 102 may be an Internet of things (IoT)device. The wireless communication device 102 may be a mobile phone, asmart phone, a wearable computer, a headset computer, a laptop computer,a tablet computer, or a notebook computer.

The wireless communication device 102 may establish a wirelesscommunication link with a cell site 108 based on authentication and/oraccess credentials provided by the device 102, where these credentialsare obtained from the eSIM 104 (e.g., from the eSIM profile 130). Thecell site 108 provides communications coupling of the wirelesscommunication device 102 to a network 110. The network 110 is one ormore private networks, one or more public networks, or a combinationthereof. The wireless communication device 102 may establish a wirelesscommunication link with the cell site 108 according to a 5Gtelecommunication protocol, a long term evolution (LTE)telecommunication protocol, a code division multiple access (CDMA)telecommunication protocol, a global system for mobile communications(GSM) telecommunication protocol, or another telecommunication protocol.While a cell site 108 is depicted in FIG. 1, the wireless communicationdevice 102 may communicate to the network 110 via a wireless accesspoint (AP) using a WiFi or a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.The wireless communication devices 102 may communicate with applicationserver computers, web servers, gaming servers, data bases, and/or otherwireless communication devices via the network 110.

The system 100 may comprise a second plurality of wireless communicationdevices 112 that each comprise an eSIM 114 that may store wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data, for example in the eSIM profile 130. The wirelesscommunication device 112 may establish a wireless communication linkwith a cell site 116 based on authentication and/or access credentialsprovided by the device 112, where these credentials are obtained fromthe eSIM 114 (e.g., from the eSIM profile 130). The cell site 116provides communications coupling of the wireless communication device104 to the network 110.

The wireless communication device 112 may establish a wirelesscommunication link with the cell site 116 according to a 5Gtelecommunication protocol, a long term evolution (LTE)telecommunication protocol, a code division multiple access (CDMA)telecommunication protocol, a global system for mobile communications(GSM) telecommunication protocol, or another telecommunication protocol.While a cell site 116 is depicted in FIG. 1, the wireless communicationdevice 112 may communicate to the network 110 via a wireless accesspoint (AP) using a WiFi or a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.The wireless communication devices 112 may communicate with applicationserver computers, web servers, gaming servers, data bases, and/or otherwireless communication devices via the network 110. The wirelesscommunication device 2 may be an Internet of things (IoT) device. Thewireless communication device 112 may be a smart phone, a wearablecomputer, a headset computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or anotebook computer. The system 100 may comprise any number of wirelesscommunication devices 102, 112, any number of cell sites 108, 116. Whilethe devices 102 are illustrated as in wireless communication with thefirst cell site 108 and the devices 112 are illustrated as in wirelesscommunication with the second cell site 116, it is understood that anyof the devices 102, 112 may establish wireless communication links withany of the cell sites 108, 116.

The system 100 further comprises a virtual eSIM provisioning platform122 that extends one or more user interfaces (UI) 120 that execute oncomputers, for example on work stations, laptop computers, or desktopcomputers. The virtual eSIM provisioning platform 122 may execute onand/or be provided by a computer system. Computers are discussed furtherhereinafter. The virtual eSIM provisioning platform 122 comprises a userconsole application 124 and a staging eSIM component 126. The userconsole application 124 extends the UI 120. For example, the UI 120 maybe a web interface presented by the user console application 124 on theuser's computer or other device (e.g., in an application or browser). Auser is able to use the UI 120 to define one or more eSIM profiles tothe user console application 124. A user may be associated with a smallbusiness that has deployed a plurality of wireless communication devices102, 112 who desires to configure one or more eSIM profiles into thesmall business's devices 102, 112. A user may be an individualsubscriber to wireless communication services.

The user console application 124 communicates the eSIM profile or eSIMprofiles to a staging eSIM component 126 on the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform 122. The staging eSIM component 126 stores theeSIM profiles 128. In some contexts, the staging eSIM component 126 maybe referred to as the staging eSIM. The user by providing eSIM profiledefinition inputs via the UI 120 may be said to have provisioned an eSIMlocated in the virtual eSIM provisioning platform 122 (e.g., in thestaging eSIM component 126). The staging eSIM component 126 comprises aneSIM provisioning application 127 that interworks with one or more ofthe eSIMs 104 of wireless communication devices 102 and/or with one ormore of the eSIMs 114 of wireless communication devices 112 to installwireless communication service provider data and wireless communicationservice subscriber data (e.g., an eSIM profile 128) into the eSIMs 104,114 accordingly. The staging eSIM component 126 may communicate with thewireless communication device 102, 112 wirelessly as described above orvia a wired connection, for example via a universal serial bus (USB)connection.

The wireless communication devices 102 may have relatively greatercapability than the wireless communication devices 112. For example, thewireless communication devices 102 may have sufficient memory to storeat least one eSIM profile 130 on board and sufficient processing powerto execute a local profile assistant (LPA) 132 application. In the caseof the wireless communication devices 102, the eSIM provisioningapplication 127 can write at least one eSIM profile 127 to the wirelesscommunication device 102 as the eSIM profile 130 and delegate to thewireless communication device 102 the activity of configuring the eSIM104 based on the eSIM profile 130. For example, the eSIM provisioningapplication 127 may copy data stored in the eSIM profile 128 to anon-transitory portion of memory in the wireless communication device102. The LPA 132 may then write this data to the eSIM 104 in the form ofthe eSIM profile 130. An eSIM profile 128, 130 may have a standardizedform that desirably is mapped to a non-standard organization orrepresentation in the eSIM 104, 114. Thus, the eSIM profile 128 writtento different eSIMs 104, 114 in different devices may be stored,arranged, and represented differently in the different eSIMs 104, 114.Additionally, the low level operations that the LPA 132 executes towrite to the eSIM 104 may be different for different brands and/ormodels of devices 102.

While the wireless communication device 102 may feature relatively highcapabilities, it may be configured to operate in such a way as toconserve battery power. IoT devices, for example, may be deployed toremote locations and expected to operate with the same battery forseveral years before depleting the battery. To the purpose of extendingservice life, the wireless communication device 102 may power on,perform some operations, and then power back down. When powered on, thewireless communication device 102 may capture sensor data, log thesensor data, and power back down. Periodically, during such a powered onoperation cycle, the wireless communication device 102 may send the logof sensor data via the cell site 108 and via the network 110 to a datastore (not shown).

The powering on and powering off of the wireless communication device102 may present some challenges to transmitting the eSIM profile 128 tothe eSIM profile 130 on the wireless communication device 102. The eSIMprovisioning application 127 may segment the eSIM profile 128 intomultiple segments and accomplish the writing of the eSIM profile 128 tothe eSIM profile 130 via a series of separate write cycles completedover several different powered on cycles of the wireless communicationdevice 102. When the eSIM profile 128 has been completely written intothe eSIM profile 130 on the wireless communication device 102, the eSIMprofile 130 may be said to mirror the eSIM profile 128 and the eSIMprofiles 128, 130 may be said to be synchronized with each other.

Because the wireless communication devices 112 may be lower capabilitydevices, there may not be sufficient memory resources on the wirelesscommunication devices 112 to store the data contained in the eSIMprofile 128. Additionally, the wireless communication devices 112 maynot have an LPA 132 on board which can handle writing wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data into the eSIM 114. Under one or both of thesecircumstances, the eSIM provisioning application 127 may takeresponsibility for writing wireless communication service provider dataand wireless communication service subscriber data in a suitable forminto appropriate locations in the eSIM 114 in the form of the eSIMprofile 130 of the wireless communication devices 112. This may entailthe eSIM provisioning application 127 sending low level write commandsto the wireless communication device 112 to configure the eSIM 114 withthe eSIM profile 130. These may be referred to in some contexts asdevice driver commands. It is understood that the eSIM provisioningapplication 127 may adapt the low level write commands to the particularrequirements of different brands and/or different models of wirelesscommunication devices 112. Said in other words, the eSIM provisioningapplication 127 may map the same eSIM profile 128 into a differentseries of low level commands for writing the wireless communicationservice provider data and the wireless communication service subscriberdata store in the eSIM profile 128 into different brands and/or modelsof wireless communication devices 112.

In an embodiment, the staging eSIM component 126 may store a pluralityof different eSIM profiles 128 associated with the same target wirelesscommunication device 102, 112. The wireless communication device 102,112 may command the staging eSIM component 126 to install one of theeSIM profiles 128 stored by the staging eSIM component 126 onto thedevice 102, 112. The device 102, 112 may itself select the eSIM profile128 to be installed. Alternatively, the device 102, 112 may delegate tothe eSIM provisioning application 127 to select the eSIM profile 128based on selection rules executed by the eSIM provisioning application127. These selection rules may be configured into the eSIM provisioningapplication 127 by the user via the UI 120 in association with definingthe eSIM profiles 128. The eSIM profile 104, 114 may be changed whensome aspect of the environment of the wireless communication device 102,112 changes, for example the device 102, 112 moves into a differentlocation and/or country. As an example, the wireless communicationdevice 112 may be attached to a shipping container that may move betweencountries. In some cases, when the device 112 crosses into a differentcountry, the eSIM profile 114 may desirably be changed to interwork witha different wireless communication service provider in the currentcountry.

Turning now to FIG. 2A, a first embodiment of the staging eSIM component126 is described. A first staging eSIM component 126 a comprises theeSIM provisioning application 127 and a plurality of virtual eSIMs 134,each virtual eSIM 134 storing one or more eSIM profiles 128. The eSIMprovisioning application 127 performs the interactions with the userconsole 124 and with the mobile communication devices 102, 112 asdescribed above. The virtual eSIMs 134 and the eSIM profiles 128 arestored in a non-transitory memory of the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform 122. Said in other words, the virtual eSIMs 134 are dataobjects or data artifacts stored in non-transitory memory of the virtualeSIM provisioning platform 122.

Turning now to FIG. 2B, a second embodiment of the staging eSIMcomponent 126 is described. A second staging eSIM component 126 bcomprises the eSIM provisioning application 127 and a plurality ofphysical eSIMs 136, each physical eSIM 136 storing one or more eSIMprofiles 128. Each physical eSIM 136 is a hardware device or a block ofa hardware device corresponding to an eSIM or to a eUICC. The physicaleSIMs 136 are not data objects or data artifacts, although they comprisedata (e.g., comprise the eSIM profile(s) 128). The physical eSIMs 136may comprise semiconductor logic such as a logic processor block orcore. The physical eSIMs 136 may be installed on a circuit board coupledto a processor board of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform 122. Inan embodiment, advantages and benefits may be obtained in someenvironments by embedding physical eSIMs 136 in the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform 122. The eSIM provisioning application 127 maycopy the eSIM profiles 128 stored in a physical eSIM 136 to an actualeSIM in a target wireless communication device, for example to the eSIM104, 114.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a method 200 is described. In an embodiment, themethod 200 is a method of provisioning an electronic subscriber identitymodule (eSIM) to a wireless communication device. At block 202, themethod 200 comprises provisioning an electronic subscriber identitymodule (eSIM) profile into an eSIM of a virtual eSIM provisioningplatform, where the virtual eSIM provisioning platform is provided by acomputer system and where the eSIM profile comprises wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data.

At block 204, the method 200 comprises partitioning, by an eSIMprovisioning application executing on the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform, a process of writing the eSIM profile to an eSIM of a wirelesscommunication device into a plurality of messages, whereby thecomplexity of provisioning the eSIM profile to the eSIM of the wirelesscommunication device is handled by the intelligence of the eSIMprovisioning application. At block 206, the method 200 comprisesestablishing wireless communication by the eSIM provisioning applicationwith a wireless communication device having an eSIM. Establishingwireless communication by the eSIM provisioning application with thewireless communication device having the eSIM may comprise establishinga series of separate wireless communication sessions in association withthe wireless communication device turning itself off and on severaltimes to conserve its battery power. At block 208, the method 200comprises sending the messages by the eSIM provisioning application tothe eSIM of the wireless communication device, whereby the eSIMprovisioning application provisions the eSIM of the wirelesscommunication device. Sending the messages by the eSIM provisioningapplication to the eSIM of the wireless communication device may bereferred to in some contexts as mirroring the eSIM of the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform (e.g., the virtual eSIM 134 or the physical eSIM136) to the eSIM of the wireless communication device. This may also bereferred to as synchronizing the eSIM of the wireless communicationdevice with the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform.

When the provisioning of the eSIM on the wireless communication devicehas been completed, the eSIM provisioning application may send an eSIMprovisioning complete acknowledgement to the user console application,and the user console application may send the eSIM provisioning completeacknowledgement to the user via the user interface (e.g., the userinterface 120) and/or to other entities. The acknowledgement may bedeemed to indicate that the wireless communication device 102, 112 hascompleted provisioning and is ready to communicate on a radio accessnetwork (RAN) using the access and/or authentication credentialsembedded in the eSIM 104, 114. After the provisioning of the eSIM 104,114 is complete and the acknowledgment is sent, the wirelesscommunication device 102, 112 may be enabled to conduct wirelesscommunication via the cell site 108, 116 using the eSIM profile dataconfigured into the eSIM 104, 114.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a method 220 is described. In an embodiment, themethod 220 comprises a method of provisioning an electronic subscriberidentity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device. At block 222,the method 220 comprises receiving input defining an electronicsubscriber identity module (eSIM) profile by a user console applicationexecuting on a virtual eSIM provisioning platform, where the virtualeSIM provisioning platform is provided by a computer and where the eSIMprofile comprises wireless communication service provider data andwireless communication service subscriber data.

At block 224, the method 220 comprises provisioning the eSIM profileinto an eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform by the userconsole application. In an embodiment, the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform comprises a physical eSIM, and provisioning the eSIM profileinto the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platform compriseswriting the contents of the eSIM profile to the physical eSIM. Inanother embodiment, the virtual eSIM provisioning platform comprises avirtual eSIM that is a data object stored in a non-transitory memory ofthe virtual eSIM provisioning platform, and provisioning the eSIMprofile into the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platformcomprises writing the eSIM profile into the virtual eSIM (e.g., writingthe eSIM profile to a non-transitory memory of the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform). At block 226, the method 220 comprises readingthe eSIM profile from the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platformby an eSIM provisioning application executing on the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform.

At block 228, the method 220 comprises partitioning the eSIM profileinto a plurality of segments by the eSIM provisioning application. Atblock 230, the method 220 comprises establishing a plurality of wirelesscommunication links, by the eSIM provisioning application, with awireless communication device having an eSIM, each wirelesscommunication link established at a different time. At block 232, themethod 220 comprises sending each of the segments of the eSIM profile ata different time by the eSIM provisioning application to the wirelesscommunication device via one of the wireless communication links,whereby the eSIM profile is incrementally transmitted to the wirelesscommunication device, and whereby the wireless communication deviceconfigures the eSIM in the wireless communication device based on theeSIM profile.

In an embodiment, the eSIM provisioning application may send each of thesegments of the eSIM profile to a local profile assistant (LPA)executing on the mobile communication device and may delegate to the LPAthe activity of mapping the eSIM profile to low level write operationsto configure the eSIM based on the eSIM profile. In an embodiment, theeSIM provisioning application sends each of the segments of the eSIMprofile accompanied by a low level write operation.

The virtual eSIM framework of method 220 may be said to decouple thedefining of the eSIM profile from provisioning the eSIM to the wirelesscommunication device. For example, a user employs the UI 120 to input adefinition of the eSIM profile and the user console 124 captures theeSIM profile input. At this point, the user's engagement with the eSIMprovisioning process may be deemed completed. The user can turn to otheractivities. The user console then sends the eSIM profile to the stagingeSIM and delegates to the staging eSIM the responsibility forinterworking with the mobile communication device to provision the eSIMon the device according to the eSIM profile. The provisioning of theeSIM on the wireless communication device need not take place inreal-time—while the user is engaged with the UI 120.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a method 240 is described. In an embodiment, themethod 240 is a method of provisioning an electronic subscriber identitymodule (eSIM) to a wireless communication device. At block 242, themethod 240 comprises receiving input defining a plurality of electronicsubscriber identity module (eSIM) profiles by a user console applicationexecuting on a computer, where the eSIM profiles comprise wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data. At block 244, the method 240 comprises sending the eSIMprofiles by the user console application to a staging eSIM that isprovided by the computer.

At block 246 the method 240 comprises storing the eSIM profiles by thestaging eSIM. At block 248, the method 240 comprises sending a firsteSIM profile by the staging eSIM to a wireless communication devicehaving an eSIM.

At block 250, the method 240 comprises selecting a second eSIM profilefrom the plurality of stored eSIM profiles by the staging eSIM. In anembodiment, the staging eSIM selects the second eSIM profile based on arequest received from the wireless communication device. Alternatively,in another embodiment or in a different eSIM provisioning instance, thestaging eSIM selects the second eSIM profile based on selection rulesconfigured into the staging eSIM by the user console application.Alternatively, in another embodiment or a different eSIM provisioninginstance, the staging eSIM selects the second eSIM profile based oninput received by the user console application forwarded to the stagingeSIM. It is understood that all three different ways of selecting thesecond eSIM profile may be present in the same implementation, eachdifferent selection mechanism being used under different operationconditions. At block 252, the method 240 comprises sending the secondeSIM profile by the staging eSIM to the wireless communication device,whereby an eSIM in the wireless communication device is adapted tocommunicate in a different wireless communication environment.

FIG. 6 depicts the user equipment (UE) 400, which is operable forimplementing aspects of the present disclosure (e.g., the wirelesscommunication devices 102, 112), but the present disclosure should notbe limited to these implementations. Though illustrated as a mobilephone, the UE 400 may take various forms including a wireless handset, apager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a gaming device, or a mediaplayer. The UE 400 includes a touchscreen display 402 having atouch-sensitive surface for input by a user. A small number ofapplication icons 404 are illustrated within the touch screen display402. It is understood that in different embodiments, any number ofapplication icons 404 may be presented in the touch screen display 402.In some embodiments of the UE 400, a user may be able to download andinstall additional applications on the UE 400, and an icon associatedwith such downloaded and installed applications may be added to thetouch screen display 402 or to an alternative screen. The UE 400 mayhave other components such as electro-mechanical switches, speakers,camera lenses, microphones, input and/or output connectors, and othercomponents as are well known in the art. The UE 400 may present optionsfor the user to select, controls for the user to actuate, and/or cursorsor other indicators for the user to direct. The UE 400 may furtheraccept data entry from the user, including numbers to dial or variousparameter values for configuring the operation of the handset. The UE400 may further execute one or more software or firmware applications inresponse to user commands. These applications may configure the UE 400to perform various customized functions in response to user interaction.Additionally, the UE 400 may be programmed and/or configuredover-the-air, for example from a wireless base station, a wirelessaccess point, or a peer UE 400. The UE 400 may execute a web browserapplication which enables the touch screen display 402 to show a webpage. The web page may be obtained via wireless communications with abase transceiver station, a wireless network access node, a peer UE 400or any other wireless communication network or system.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of the UE 400. While a variety of knowncomponents of handsets are depicted, in an embodiment a subset of thelisted components and/or additional components not listed may beincluded in the UE 400. The UE 400 includes a digital signal processor(DSP) 502 and a memory 504. As shown, the UE 400 may further include oneor more antenna and front end unit 506, a one or more radio frequency(RF) transceiver 508, a baseband processing unit 510, a microphone 512,an earpiece speaker 514, a headset port 516, an input/output interface518, a removable memory card 520, a universal serial bus (USB) port 522,an infrared port 524, a vibrator 526, one or more electro-mechanicalswitches 528, a touch screen display 530, a touch screen controller 532,a camera 534, a camera controller 536, and a global positioning system(GPS) receiver 538. In an embodiment, the UE 400 may include anotherkind of display that does not provide a touch sensitive screen. In anembodiment, the UE 400 may include both the touch screen display 530 andadditional display component that does not provide a touch sensitivescreen. In an embodiment, the DSP 502 may communicate directly with thememory 504 without passing through the input/output interface 518.Additionally, in an embodiment, the UE 400 may comprise other peripheraldevices that provide other functionality.

The DSP 502 or some other form of controller or central processing unitoperates to control the various components of the UE 400 in accordancewith embedded software or firmware stored in memory 504 or stored inmemory contained within the DSP 502 itself. In addition to the embeddedsoftware or firmware, the DSP 502 may execute other applications storedin the memory 504 or made available via information carrier media suchas portable data storage media like the removable memory card 520 or viawired or wireless network communications. The application software maycomprise a compiled set of machine-readable instructions that configurethe DSP 502 to provide the desired functionality, or the applicationsoftware may be high-level software instructions to be processed by aninterpreter or compiler to indirectly configure the DSP 502.

The DSP 502 may communicate with a wireless network via the analogbaseband processing unit 510. In some embodiments, the communication mayprovide Internet connectivity, enabling a user to gain access to contenton the Internet and to send and receive e-mail or text messages. Theinput/output interface 518 interconnects the DSP 502 and variousmemories and interfaces. The memory 504 and the removable memory card520 may provide software and data to configure the operation of the DSP502. Among the interfaces may be the USB port 522 and the infrared port524. The USB port 522 may enable the UE 400 to function as a peripheraldevice to exchange information with a personal computer or othercomputer system. The infrared port 524 and other optional ports such asa Bluetooth® interface or an IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless interfacemay enable the UE 400 to communicate wirelessly with other nearbyhandsets and/or wireless base stations.

In an embodiment, one or more of the radio transceivers is a cellularradio transceiver. A cellular radio transceiver promotes establishing awireless communication link with a cell site according to one or more ofa 5G, a long term evolution (LTE), a code division multiple access(CDMA), a global system for mobile communications (GSM) wirelesscommunication protocol. In an embodiment, one of the radio transceivers508 may comprise a near field communication (NFC) transceiver. The NFCtransceiver may be used to complete payment transactions withpoint-of-sale terminals or other communications exchanges. In anembodiment, each of the different radio transceivers 508 may be coupledto its own separate antenna. In an embodiment, the UE 400 may comprise aradio frequency identify (RFID) reader and/or writer device.

The switches 528 may couple to the DSP 502 via the input/outputinterface 518 to provide one mechanism for the user to provide input tothe UE 400. Alternatively, one or more of the switches 528 may becoupled to a motherboard of the UE 400 and/or to components of the UE400 via a different path (e.g., not via the input/output interface 518),for example coupled to a power control circuit (power button) of the UE400. The touch screen display 530 is another input mechanism, whichfurther displays text and/or graphics to the user. The touch screencontroller 532 couples the DSP 502 to the touch screen display 530. TheGPS receiver 538 is coupled to the DSP 502 to decode global positioningsystem signals, thereby enabling the UE 400 to determine its position.

FIG. 8A illustrates a software environment 602 that may be implementedby the DSP 502. The DSP 502 executes operating system software 604 thatprovides a platform from which the rest of the software operates. Theoperating system software 604 may provide a variety of drivers for thehandset hardware with standardized interfaces that are accessible toapplication software. The operating system software 604 may be coupledto and interact with application management services (AMS) 606 thattransfer control between applications running on the UE 400. Also shownin FIG. 8A are a web browser application 608, a media player application610, and JAVA applets 612. The web browser application 608 may beexecuted by the UE 400 to browse content and/or the Internet, forexample when the UE 400 is coupled to a network via a wireless link. Theweb browser application 608 may permit a user to enter information intoforms and select links to retrieve and view web pages. The media playerapplication 610 may be executed by the UE 400 to play audio oraudiovisual media. The JAVA applets 612 may be executed by the UE 400 toprovide a variety of functionality including games, utilities, and otherfunctionality.

FIG. 8B illustrates an alternative software environment 620 that may beimplemented by the DSP 502. The DSP 502 executes operating system kernel(OS kernel) 628 and an execution runtime 630. The DSP 502 executesapplications 622 that may execute in the execution runtime 630 and mayrely upon services provided by the application framework 624.Applications 622 and the application framework 624 may rely uponfunctionality provided via the libraries 626.

FIG. 9 illustrates a computer system 380 suitable for implementing oneor more embodiments disclosed herein. The computer system 380 includes aprocessor 382 (which may be referred to as a central processor unit orCPU) that is in communication with memory devices including secondarystorage 384, read only memory (ROM) 386, random access memory (RAM) 388,input/output (I/O) devices 390, and network connectivity devices 392.The processor 382 may be implemented as one or more CPU chips.

It is understood that by programming and/or loading executableinstructions onto the computer system 380, at least one of the CPU 382,the RAM 388, and the ROM 386 are changed, transforming the computersystem 380 in part into a particular machine or apparatus having thenovel functionality taught by the present disclosure. It is fundamentalto the electrical engineering and software engineering arts thatfunctionality that can be implemented by loading executable softwareinto a computer can be converted to a hardware implementation bywell-known design rules. Decisions between implementing a concept insoftware versus hardware typically hinge on considerations of stabilityof the design and numbers of units to be produced rather than any issuesinvolved in translating from the software domain to the hardware domain.Generally, a design that is still subject to frequent change may bepreferred to be implemented in software, because re-spinning a hardwareimplementation is more expensive than re-spinning a software design.Generally, a design that is stable that will be produced in large volumemay be preferred to be implemented in hardware, for example in anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), because for largeproduction runs the hardware implementation may be less expensive thanthe software implementation. Often a design may be developed and testedin a software form and later transformed, by well-known design rules, toan equivalent hardware implementation in an application specificintegrated circuit that hardwires the instructions of the software. Inthe same manner as a machine controlled by a new ASIC is a particularmachine or apparatus, likewise a computer that has been programmedand/or loaded with executable instructions may be viewed as a particularmachine or apparatus.

Additionally, after the system 380 is turned on or booted, the CPU 382may execute a computer program or application. For example, the CPU 382may execute software or firmware stored in the ROM 386 or stored in theRAM 388. In some cases, on boot and/or when the application isinitiated, the CPU 382 may copy the application or portions of theapplication from the secondary storage 384 to the RAM 388 or to memoryspace within the CPU 382 itself, and the CPU 382 may then executeinstructions that the application is comprised of. In some cases, theCPU 382 may copy the application or portions of the application frommemory accessed via the network connectivity devices 392 or via the I/Odevices 390 to the RAM 388 or to memory space within the CPU 382, andthe CPU 382 may then execute instructions that the application iscomprised of. During execution, an application may load instructionsinto the CPU 382, for example load some of the instructions of theapplication into a cache of the CPU 382. In some contexts, anapplication that is executed may be said to configure the CPU 382 to dosomething, e.g., to configure the CPU 382 to perform the function orfunctions promoted by the subject application. When the CPU 382 isconfigured in this way by the application, the CPU 382 becomes aspecific purpose computer or a specific purpose machine.

The secondary storage 384 is typically comprised of one or more diskdrives or tape drives and is used for non-volatile storage of data andas an over-flow data storage device if RAM 388 is not large enough tohold all working data. Secondary storage 384 may be used to storeprograms which are loaded into RAM 388 when such programs are selectedfor execution. The ROM 386 is used to store instructions and perhapsdata which are read during program execution. ROM 386 is a non-volatilememory device which typically has a small memory capacity relative tothe larger memory capacity of secondary storage 384. The RAM 388 is usedto store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions. Access to bothROM 386 and RAM 388 is typically faster than to secondary storage 384.The secondary storage 384, the RAM 388, and/or the ROM 386 may bereferred to in some contexts as computer readable storage media and/ornon-transitory computer readable media.

I/O devices 390 may include printers, video monitors, liquid crystaldisplays (LCDs), touch screen displays, keyboards, keypads, switches,dials, mice, track balls, voice recognizers, card readers, paper tapereaders, or other well-known input devices.

The network connectivity devices 392 may take the form of modems, modembanks, Ethernet cards, universal serial bus (USB) interface cards,serial interfaces, token ring cards, fiber distributed data interface(FDDI) cards, wireless local area network (WLAN) cards, radiotransceiver cards, and/or other well-known network devices. The networkconnectivity devices 392 may provide wired communication links and/orwireless communication links (e.g., a first network connectivity device392 may provide a wired communication link and a second networkconnectivity device 392 may provide a wireless communication link).Wired communication links may be provided in accordance with Ethernet(IEEE 802.3), Internet protocol (IP), time division multiplexing (TDM),data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS), wavelengthdivision multiplexing (WDM), and/or the like. In an embodiment, theradio transceiver cards may provide wireless communication links usingprotocols such as code division multiple access (CDMA), global systemfor mobile communications (GSM), long-term evolution (LTE), WiFi (IEEE802.11), Bluetooth, Zigbee, narrowband Internet of things (NB IoT), nearfield communications (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID). Theradio transceiver cards may promote radio communications using 5G, 5GNew Radio, or 5G LTE radio communication protocols. These networkconnectivity devices 392 may enable the processor 382 to communicatewith the Internet or one or more intranets. With such a networkconnection, it is contemplated that the processor 382 might receiveinformation from the network, or might output information to the networkin the course of performing the above-described method steps. Suchinformation, which is often represented as a sequence of instructions tobe executed using processor 382, may be received from and outputted tothe network, for example, in the form of a computer data signal embodiedin a carrier wave.

Such information, which may include data or instructions to be executedusing processor 382 for example, may be received from and outputted tothe network, for example, in the form of a computer data baseband signalor signal embodied in a carrier wave. The baseband signal or signalembedded in the carrier wave, or other types of signals currently usedor hereafter developed, may be generated according to several methodswell-known to one skilled in the art. The baseband signal and/or signalembedded in the carrier wave may be referred to in some contexts as atransitory signal.

The processor 382 executes instructions, codes, computer programs,scripts which it accesses from hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk(these various disk based systems may all be considered secondarystorage 384), flash drive, ROM 386, RAM 388, or the network connectivitydevices 392. While only one processor 382 is shown, multiple processorsmay be present. Thus, while instructions may be discussed as executed bya processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially,or otherwise executed by one or multiple processors. Instructions,codes, computer programs, scripts, and/or data that may be accessed fromthe secondary storage 384, for example, hard drives, floppy disks,optical disks, and/or other device, the ROM 386, and/or the RAM 388 maybe referred to in some contexts as non-transitory instructions and/ornon-transitory information.

In an embodiment, the computer system 380 may comprise two or morecomputers in communication with each other that collaborate to perform atask. For example, but not by way of limitation, an application may bepartitioned in such a way as to permit concurrent and/or parallelprocessing of the instructions of the application. Alternatively, thedata processed by the application may be partitioned in such a way as topermit concurrent and/or parallel processing of different portions of adata set by the two or more computers. In an embodiment, virtualizationsoftware may be employed by the computer system 380 to provide thefunctionality of a number of servers that is not directly bound to thenumber of computers in the computer system 380. For example,virtualization software may provide twenty virtual servers on fourphysical computers. In an embodiment, the functionality disclosed abovemay be provided by executing the application and/or applications in acloud computing environment. Cloud computing may comprise providingcomputing services via a network connection using dynamically scalablecomputing resources. Cloud computing may be supported, at least in part,by virtualization software. A cloud computing environment may beestablished by an enterprise and/or may be hired on an as-needed basisfrom a third party provider. Some cloud computing environments maycomprise cloud computing resources owned and operated by the enterpriseas well as cloud computing resources hired and/or leased from a thirdparty provider.

In an embodiment, some or all of the functionality disclosed above maybe provided as a computer program product. The computer program productmay comprise one or more computer readable storage medium havingcomputer usable program code embodied therein to implement thefunctionality disclosed above. The computer program product may comprisedata structures, executable instructions, and other computer usableprogram code. The computer program product may be embodied in removablecomputer storage media and/or non-removable computer storage media. Theremovable computer readable storage medium may comprise, withoutlimitation, a paper tape, a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, an opticaldisk, a solid state memory chip, for example analog magnetic tape,compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) disks, floppy disks, jump drives,digital cards, multimedia cards, and others. The computer programproduct may be suitable for loading, by the computer system 380, atleast portions of the contents of the computer program product to thesecondary storage 384, to the ROM 386, to the RAM 388, and/or to othernon-volatile memory and volatile memory of the computer system 380. Theprocessor 382 may process the executable instructions and/or datastructures in part by directly accessing the computer program product,for example by reading from a CD-ROM disk inserted into a disk driveperipheral of the computer system 380. Alternatively, the processor 382may process the executable instructions and/or data structures byremotely accessing the computer program product, for example bydownloading the executable instructions and/or data structures from aremote server through the network connectivity devices 392. The computerprogram product may comprise instructions that promote the loadingand/or copying of data, data structures, files, and/or executableinstructions to the secondary storage 384, to the ROM 386, to the RAM388, and/or to other non-volatile memory and volatile memory of thecomputer system 380.

In some contexts, the secondary storage 384, the ROM 386, and the RAM388 may be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium or acomputer readable storage media. A dynamic RAM embodiment of the RAM388, likewise, may be referred to as a non-transitory computer readablemedium in that while the dynamic RAM receives electrical power and isoperated in accordance with its design, for example during a period oftime during which the computer system 380 is turned on and operational,the dynamic RAM stores information that is written to it. Similarly, theprocessor 382 may comprise an internal RAM, an internal ROM, a cachememory, and/or other internal non-transitory storage blocks, sections,or components that may be referred to in some contexts as non-transitorycomputer readable media or computer readable storage media.

While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure,it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may beembodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spiritor scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is notto be limited to the details given herein. For example, the variouselements or components may be combined or integrated in another systemor certain features may be omitted or not implemented.

Also, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described andillustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may becombined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, ormethods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Other items shown or discussed as directly coupled or communicating witheach other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through someinterface, device, or intermediate component, whether electrically,mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions,and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could bemade without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of provisioning an electronic subscriberidentity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device, comprising:receiving input defining an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM)profile by a user console application executing on a virtual eSIMprovisioning platform, where the virtual eSIM provisioning platform isprovided by a computer and where the eSIM profile comprises wirelesscommunication service provider data and wireless communication servicesubscriber data; provisioning the eSIM profile into an eSIM of thevirtual eSIM provisioning platform by the user console application;reading the eSIM profile from the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioningplatform by an eSIM provisioning application executing on the virtualeSIM provisioning platform; partitioning the eSIM profile into aplurality of segments by the eSIM provisioning application; establishinga plurality of wireless communication links, by the eSIM provisioningapplication, with a wireless communication device having an eSIM, eachwireless communication link established at a different time; and sendingeach of the segments of the eSIM profile at a different time by the eSIMprovisioning application to the wireless communication device via one ofthe wireless communication links, whereby the eSIM profile isincrementally transmitted to the wireless communication device, andwhereby the wireless communication device configures the eSIM in thewireless communication device based on the eSIM profile.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the virtual eSIM provisioning platform decouples thedefining of the eSIM profile from provisioning the eSIM to the wirelesscommunication device.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual eSIMprovisioning platform comprises a physical eSIM and wherein provisioningthe eSIM profile into the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platformcomprises writing the eSIM profile to the physical eSIM.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the virtual eSIM provisioning platform comprises avirtual eSIM that is a data object stored in a non-transitory memory ofthe virtual eSIM provisioning platform and wherein provisioning the eSIMprofile into the eSIM of the virtual eSIM provisioning platformcomprises writing the eSIM profile into the virtual eSIM.
 5. The methodof claim 1, wherein the eSIM provisioning application sends each of thesegments of the eSIM profile to a local profile assistant (LPA)executing on the wireless communication device and delegates to the LPAthe activity of mapping the eSIM profile to low level write operationsto configure the eSIM based on the eSIM profile.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein the eSIM provisioning application sends each of the segmentsof the eSIM profile accompanied by a low level write operation.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is anInternet of things (IoT) device.